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#25 Corallary to #7 and #10: Do not ask Sensei "What is nikkyo?"
#25A: ALWAYS do cool-down stretches after a "nikkyo night."
#26 When you are being uke for a senior student, do NOT try to stand up when you are supposed to be going down. If Sensei sees this, this will inspire him to show how to handle it when someone stands up. (Happened my second or third class last year; I was being uke for ikkyo -- I think -- and tended to stand up when I shouldn't have. Sensei came over and said, "If he stands up, cut down .... " After slamming my former nage into the tatami a couple times, he said, "Hey, I like that!" and had us all do it. Fortunately, us newer people were allowed to use a rear sitfall for ukemi on that one.)

if sensei asks you what you have been doing in a previous class (as i do 2 different styles of aikido) don't tell them about your miserable attempts at doing ukemi as they will make you repeat that said same miserable performance

I am somewhat notorious for lying on the mat laughing after sensei throws me, because some techniques just never fail to surprise me no matter how often I see them. "How the &$#^ did he do that?" I particularly love demonstrations which start with sensei saying, "All of you are pushing and straining...as you can see, if I push Mary she just stands there....but if, instead, I just do *this*--" WHAM! So cool!

I have a lot of faith that the yudansha will not hurt me. It's the high kyu ranked people I'm scared of.

I am somewhat notorious for lying on the mat laughing after sensei throws me, because some techniques just never fail to surprise me no matter how often I see them. "How the &$#^ did he do that?" I particularly love demonstrations which start with sensei saying, "All of you are pushing and straining...as you can see, if I push Mary she just stands there....but if, instead, I just do *this*--" WHAM! So cool!

I have a lot of faith that the yudansha will not hurt me. It's the high kyu ranked people I'm scared of.

Mary Kaye

I thought I was the only one who laughed after getting tossed on my butt! I'm afraid of mudansha too.

"The only difference between Congress and drunken sailors is that drunken sailors spend their own money." -Tom Feeney, representative from Florida

I know what you mean.
The yudansha try to make sure you fall correctly, and know how to catch you if you don't.
The newbies don't know how to do that. They also don't know how much force you should use when they are trying to throw you. They can accidentally hurt you.
Other newbies go on power trips...

When your Shihan or Sensei asks people to work with someone their own age and then smiles in your direction you have a number of choices 1) sit and watch, 2) pick any injury that is believable ... which can be anything if you're past 60, 3) partner up with an 18 to 25 year old and show him that once you get up from seiza (if you can) that you can still move, 4) remain on the mat and readjust your knee brace or 5) combine 1,2,or 4. ( from the old guy in our dojo )

When your Shihan or Sensei asks people to work with someone their own age and then smiles in your direction you have a number of choices 1) sit and watch, 2) pick any injury that is believable ... which can be anything if you're past 60, 3) partner up with an 18 to 25 year old and show him that once you get up from seiza (if you can) that you can still move, 4) remain on the mat and readjust your knee brace or 5) combine 1,2,or 4. ( from the old guy in our dojo )

#11 Don't ever ask Sensei for an all suwari waza class. Your fellow students will despise you and plot your demise.
#12 Don't ever tell Shihan, "C'mon old man". Seriously....don't ever do this. I made this mistake once.
#13 If Uke is not playing properly.....breakfalls are in order. Do not hesitate. Do not stop.